Page Nine

Thursday, June 14, 2012

First the bad news:
Arizona’s per capita personal income is eleventh lowest among the states
and is 14 percent lower than the national average. But there’s also
good news: In the past, Arizona’s per capita income has been closer to
the national average and there is no reason it cannot be again.

The chart below compares
Arizona’s per capita income to the national average. Arizona’s
relatively modest-sized population explains much of the big fluctuations
that occur right into the 1990s since any change in large employers
could be significantly reflected in the statistics. Another likely
explanation is national defense spending. The big blip in 1941 coincides
with the buildup to World War II. The next peak in 1952 coincides with
Korea. The big rise in the 1960s coincides with Vietnam. During wars,
both hot and cold, Arizona’s per capita personal income performed
relatively well because we have a decent base of defense industry jobs.
The last big drop in Arizona’s personal income occurred with the end of
the Reagan defense buildup and the end of the Cold War. Arizona’s
personal income then stabilized and we did not see another spike in
personal income until the housing bubble.

There are a couple of
lessons that can be learned from this chart. One is that Arizona must
look to itself for increased prosperity, not uncertain federal defense
spending or money from big banks taking advantage of federal housing
programs, or any other government program at any level – federal, state,
or local. Another lesson is that Arizonans cannot presently afford the
expansive government programs and projects some other states can afford
because our incomes won’t support them.

Arizona need not be
doomed to always lag the nation in per capita personal income. If we get
the basics right – good roads, sound property rights, little red tape,
lean and efficient government – Arizonans’ creativity, willingness to
take risks, and hard work will make our state the best that it can
possibly be.

Dr. Byron Schlomach is the director of the Goldwater Institute’s Center for Economic Prosperity.